Governor hopes to rely less on state incentives for future jobs

Governor Rick Snyder was on hand to help celebrate as the Michigan Strategic Fund approved state-paid incentives to 14 new business projects.

The governor said lower taxes, fewer regulations, and a skilled workforce should make incentives less necessary in the future. But he said state assistance still has to be part of the mix.

“We’ve got a good environment now, but if you see a big spike in demand, you could actually see that number go up before it goes down, but longer term – yes. Shorter term, if we have outstanding opportunities with great projects, I think we should be pro-active about making sure we’re getting those jobs in Michigan,” said Snyder.

Governor Snyder was very critical of Michigan’s incentives before he was elected. The state now offers grants instead of tax breaks to companies that promise to create jobs.

This round of incentives is supposed to attract more than $1 billion in new investment and almost 4,600 jobs.

Putting aside for a second the backroom dealing, the protesters, the pepper spray and questions about the structural integrity of the state Capitol building, now might be a good time to address one of the fundamental question surrounding right-to-work legislation.

Do right-to-work laws create more jobs?

Governor Snyder says they do, pointing to Indiana as a recent example of right-to-work success.